1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical device that aids the user in putting on and removing socks. By providing an elongated shaft and hand operative means of gripping and releasing the sock, the device allows for the putting on and removing of the sock without requiring any excessive bending or other extraneous body movement by the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various devices have been employed to aid people that face difficulty when attempting to put on or remove socks. People may find this particular activity difficult due to obesity, back problems, arthritis, or temporary conditions such as pregnancy or recovering from surgery. The activity of putting on socks contains several smaller tasks that, upon individual examination, can be seen as difficult for many suffering from any of the above mentioned conditions. The donning of a sock requires three major steps, stretching the sock beyond its normal proportions, lining up and inserting the foot into the sock, and pulling the sock over the user's foot, ankle, and beyond. Previous devices have provided a mount for a sock, aiding in the second and third steps of the process. However, a device which solely provides a mount for a sock still requires a significant amount of grip strength to stretch the sock and fails to aid the user in pulling the sock over the user's foot without requiring additional, possibly difficult, body movement.
The present invention addresses these issues by providing a flexible frame on which to initially mount the sock and by providing an elongated shaft that connects the sock mount to the hand operative controls, eliminating the need for the user to bend over at any point to manipulate the sock. The flexible frame on the distal end of the device aids the user in stretching the sock beyond its original proportions. By providing a triangular sock mount with a narrow tip, the device allows the user to increase the dimensions of the sock incrementally, without requiring that the user maintain a specific level of tension to increase the dimensions of the sock. On the rear of the sock mount, two tabs exist on each side of the sock mount. The two tabs curve vertically from the base of the sock mount and are ultimately perpendicular to the sock mount. These two tabs further facilitate the vertical stretching of the sock, aid in holding the sock on the sock mount, and aid in the second step of donning a sock by providing side rails for the user to slide their foot along when inserting their foot into the sock.
The present invention also alleviates problems in the third step of donning a sock by providing an elongated shaft terminating in hand operative controls. The elongated shaft allows the user to place the sock onto the sock mount and then, without requiring any excessive bending or other body movement, position the sock mount below their foot. Inside the handle of the device is a grip that operates a toothed clamp located behind the sock mount. With minimal grip strength, the grip can be engaged inward to lock the sock on the sock mount in place. With the jaw engaged, the user can easily pull the device towards them, completely the process of donning a sock without requiring a significant amount of grip strength or without maintaining a high level of tension across the sock.
The device can also be employed to remove socks from a person's foot. The sock is retained on the device after it is removed from the foot so that the person does not have to bend or stoop over to remove the sock from the foot or to retrieve the sock after it is removed.
Further, the device can be used as a shoe horn to assist in inserting a foot into a shoe.